Island



(No Modlf) "2 Sheets-Shet 1v.

G.A.DU1\ILM"i i FOUNTAIN.

Nb. 556,090. .Patented Mar. 1o, 1896.

4l I Witnesses. lig Inveniw-' ANDREW BERAHAM. PHOTUUTND-WSHIKETDI. DC

(No Model.) 2 sheetssheet 2.

' U. A. DUN'LAP.

FOUNTAIN.

. Patented Mar. 10, 1896.

With/e sses.

ANDREW B ERAvHAM. PHOTD'UTHU-WASICNITONJ C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. DUN LAP, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALFTO ROBERT J. GILMORE, OF SAME PLACE.

FOU NTALN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 556,090, dated March10, 1896.

Application led August 10, 1894. Serial No. 519,934. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. DUNLAP, a citizen of the United States,residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of RhodeIsland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fountains;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghadto the accompanying drawings, and to letters or iigures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in water-fountains, andmore especially to the type of fountain shown and described in UnitedStates Patent No. 469,683, granted to me March l, 1892; and it consistsessentially in the novel construction and arrangement of thewater-controlling valves and connections, and also in the peculiarmanner in which the central portion of the fountain may be quicklychanged to produce other eifects, as vm'll be more fully hereinafter setforth and claimed.

The objects I have in view are primarily to provide water-fountains withmeans whereby not only one or all of its different displaysections maybe quickly adjusted or even wholly cut out by the operator at will, butat the same time the water connections leading to the fountain may beadjusted or set to produce a different design upon reversing the mainvalve interposed between the fountain and the water-supply.l

Another object ofthe invention is to construct the central part of thefountain so that it may be readily withdrawn and adj usted or arrangedto produce different effects, even while the main portion of thefountain is in operation.

By means of my present improvements the operator is provided with aconveniently-arranged dual keyboard as it may be termed. The arrangementcomprises two independent headers or reservoirs communicating with acommon reversing or two-way valve interposed between them and thewater-main or supply-pipe. Each header is provided with a series ofnozzles, controlling-valves, connections and check-valves. Thecorresponding connections of each header are -united in a single pipebeyond the check-valves,- and each of said pipes connects with anindependent display-ring or discharge-tube of the fountain. By means ofthis device he can readily manipulate or adjust the controllingvalves ofone header as desired and while the fountain is discharging waterpassing from the previously-adjusted corresponding valves of the otherheader, the change of water from one header to the other beingpractically instantaneous by simply reversing the two-way valve.

By means of the invention the central portion of the fountain may be outout altogether and withdrawn (the fountain being in operation meanwhile)and another and entirely different design or effect produced. For eX-ample, different tips or caps may be substituted and the central tube orportion replaced and fastened in position and water again let into saidtube, or after the central portion has been withdrawn fireworks or othersuitable novelties may be discharged through it, water being dischargedthrough some or all of the other portions of the fountain at the sametime, as desired.

In the two accompanying sheets of drawings, illustrating my invention,Figure l is a plan view of the dual-valve system or keyboard Yarrangedto be connected with the fountain. Fig. 2 is a vertical transversesectional view, enlarged, taken on line a: of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an endview. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the valve-operating lever, pointer,and dial for indicating the position of the valves water-way. Fig. 5,Sheet 2, is a vertical central sectional view taken through the fountainproper and showing the removable central portion. Fig. G is a similarsectional view, in enlarged scale, showing the central tube as in use.Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing the central tube removed or swung outof position, and Fig. 8 is a plan view of the fountain combined with thedual series of water-controlling valves and connections.

I would state that the several tubular rings l 2a 3a 4' 5fL are or maybe constructed and arranged substantially as set forth in my Pat- IOOheaders.

ent No. 469,683, hereinbefore referred to, and having suitabledischarge-orifices o. These rings are supported on a cone-shaped frameA, provided with panes of glass or othertransparent or translucentmaterial. The central portion of the present fountain is removable, andas drawn consists of a vertical pipe c, arranged to swing in a joint j,secured to the inlet connection G. A discharge-pipe G is fitted to bemoved longitudinally in pipe c, a packing c3 serving to maintain a tightjoint. rlhe upper end of the pipe G is screw-threaded or otherwiseadapted to receive interchange able perforated heads or caps 1U. Theselatter, however, do not exceed in diameter that of the opening or hole hformed in the center of the said frame A. If desired, the pipe 6 may beremovably secured to the frame; but practically I find that the internalpressure is sufficient to keep the packing-collar in snug cont-act withthe frame and thus maintain a substantially water-tight joint.

After shutting off water from the inlet connection G the pipe (3 may bedropped to its limit and another head substituted, or the whole may beswung downwardly, thus leaving the center opening 7L free for theintroduction of fireworks, &c.

The fountain is connected with the \vater controlling device about to bedescribed through the medium of independent inletpipes d, Anumbered 1 23 l 5 6, each being Y- shaped at its forward or inlet end, as clearlyshown.

e a indicate two short laterally-separated headers or reservoirs, eachhaving a series of six outlet-nozzles a' arranged in a row. The headerscommunicate with a main supplypipe nl. through the medium of branchpipes l111,' and an interposed cock or valve t, the latter being adaptedto shut off water from both headers or to let water into one or theother of them at will. A stem ln/ extends upwardly from said valve, towhich is fitted an operating handle or lever y11. To each of the saidnozzles a" is secured a suitable cock or valve b, which valves in turnare connected with pieces of pipe a?, common cheek-valves c beinginterposed between and uniting said pipes a2 and the forward or branchedends of the inlet-pipes, all as clearly represented. Thus it will beseen that the valved nozzle of one header communicates with one branchof the inlet-pipe (l and the corresponding nozzle of the other headercommunicates with the other branch of the same inlet-pipe, theinterposed cheek-valves serving at the same time to prevent water fromreturning to the valves and By means of this arrangement it is obviousthat while water may be passing `through one or all of the valvesb ofone header and discharge itself through the orifices of one or all ofthe fountainaings the water is at the saine time shut off from the otherheader, so that the operator can set the other series of valves l) toany degree of opening desired.

In order to enable the operator to accurately set or adjust theWater-way of valves h to varying degrees, so as to pass differentvolumes of water, I may provide the movable valve-stem b with a pointeror index p se cured thereto, andhavinga suitably-mounted fixed graduateddial or plate p2 arranged with respect to the pointer. Fig. t shows therelative position of the parts, the dotted lines showin g the f ull-openposition of the valve. Z' is the valve-operating lever, and .5^ arestops for limiting the movement of the valve.

The hereinbefore-described valve-controlling device may be located quitea distance from the fountain and having the several connectionsconcealed; In such case I prefer to use a suitable base or board f,through which the several valve-stems upward] y eX tend, the saiddial-plate p2 being secured to it.

It is obvious now that while the fountain may be discharging water(through its several orifices or outlets) flowing to it through one ofthe adjusted series of valves h the operator meanwhile may bemanipulating the other series of valves, so as to produce a differentdesign or effect upon shutting off water from the first-named valves anddiverting it into the header communicating with the other series ofvalves.

It is further apparent that a vast number of changes or combinations canbe produced by simply varying the amount or degree of the openings ofthe valves l) These may be still further varied or adj usted while wateris flowing through them by simply manipulating the handles or keys Z.

I would further state that although the several outlets o of all thetubular rings may be discharging water simultaneously I find that thebest designs and effects are produced when one or more of said rings arefor the time being inoperative. For example, rings l, 3, and 5 when inuse make a goed combination; rings 2 It and the center tube (5 another;rings 2 and 5 still another, and so on. It is preferable to so constructand arrange the main inlet-valve /U that when it stands in the centralor neutral position the water then is in communication with both headersto a small degree. This is done so that upon reversing the valve, as inchangin from one design to another, all the water will not be shut offfrom the fountain, the apparent effect being the gradual merging of theprevious design into the newer or later one; but when the valve is fullyreversed the water is thereby wholly cut off from the other header andits valves l), all the water entering into the said newer design thenpassing through the fellow header or reservoir.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with a plurality of headersor water-receivers, as a, and an inletpipe adapted to conduct water tothe foun tain proper, of a plurality of branch pipes communicating withsaid headers and arranged to open or discharge into said inletpipe, aself-closing or check valve in each of IOO IIO

said branch pipes to prevent the backflow of water from the inlet-pipe,a water-controlling valve located in each branch pipe between saidcheck-valve and header, and Ameans for controlling the flow of waterfrom a source of supply into said headers, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for controlling the flow of water to fountains, thecombination of a pair of headers, as a, provided each with a series ofoutlets therefrom, means for controlling the admission of water into theheaders from any suitable source of supply, a series of pipes adapted toconduct water to the fountain proper each having inlet branchesconnected with said header-outlets, a controlling-valve located in eachof said branch pipes whereby water can be admitted into thefountain-pipes from either header at will, and check-valves located inthe branch pipes, arranged whereby water in passing through thecontrolling-valves, dce., from one header to the fountain is preventedfrom flowing back into the other header while the valves thereof arebeing adjusted or set to produce a different design or effect upondiverting the water from the first-named header into the last-namedheader, substantially as described.

3. The combination of two headers or reservoirs, a valved connectionuniting said headers, a discharge-outlet branch leading from eachheader, a pipe or conduit into which both branches unite and discharge,and a watercontrolling valve and a check-valve located in each branch,substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a water-fountain, the combination with a series ofsuitably-arranged fountainpipes provided with discharge-orifices andinlet-pipes d communicating with the said fountain-pipes, of aV pair ofindependent headers, controllable means for admitting water from acommon source into one or the other of said headers at will,independently-controllable discharge-valves, as b, communicating withthe respective headers, independent pipes d2 connecting saiddischarge-valves with the inlet-pipes, and check-valves for preventingwater from entering the headers through the said discharge-valves,substantially as described.

5. In a water-fountain of the kind hereinbefore described, thecombination with a pair of independent headers, as a, and a valvedconnection uniting the headers adapted to receive water from a commonsource and admit it into one or the other of said headers at will, of aseries of independent concentric rings of pipe arranged one within theother and provided with discharge-orifices constituting the fountainproper, independent inlet-pipes one for each of said rings, and havingconnected to each inlet-pipe a suitably-valved branch pipe leading fromeach header,whereby all the said fountain-rings are connected with bothheaders7 substantially as described.

6. In a water-fountain, a pair of independent headers, meansforcontrolling the admission of water into one or the other of theheaders at will, inlet-pipes communicating with the fountain proper, avalved branch pipe from each of the headers to each of said inlet-pipes,and having the valves of said branch pipes provided with pointers andcorresponding dials, arranged to indicate theposition of the valves withrespect to the fountain-outlets, substantially as described.

7 In a water-fountain, a series of independent pipes or ringsprovidedwith dischargeorifices and constituting the fountain proper, two or moreseries of suitably arranged and connected independent inlet-pipesprovided with controlling-valves communicating with said discharge-pipesand a header or reservoir for each of said series of valved inlet-pipes,in combination with a suitably-mounted main inlet-valve, as o,communicating with a watermain or supply-pipe; said inlet-valve beinglocated between and communicating with the headers and having the valveopen slightly,

into both headers at once when it is in its central or neutral position,substantially as described.

S. In a water-fountain, the combination with a series ofsuitably-mounted independent pipes or rings of piping provided withdischarge-orifices, a removable discharge-tube arranged centrally withrespect to the said rings and also forming a part of the fountainproper, and a water-tight base mounted below said rings and forming thetop of the fountain-chamber, of a series of inlet-pipes communicatingwith said rings and tube, a pair 'of independent headers, a series ofindependently-controllable valves, as b, and branch pipes a2communicating with said headers and inlet-pipes, and controllable meansfor diverting water into one or the other of the headers at will, thewater then passing therefrom through one series of said valves andbranch pipes into the inlet-pipes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed mysignature in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES A. DUNLAP. Witnesses:

GEO. H. REMINGTON, IDA M. WARREN.

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